Preparing Your Children For The Sacraments
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Sacramental preparation requires a special level of commitment from both the child and their parents. As your child approaches the age when the sacramental preparation process will begin, it is important for families to understand the commitment they will undertake over the coming years. Fulfilling this commitment will lead to the reception of Sacraments, which constitute full initiation of your child into the Catholic faith community.
What are the Sacraments? There are seven Sacraments in the Catholic Church. These are:
A child’s initiation into the Catholic faith, which begins at their Baptism, also includes the Sacraments of Eucharist - Holy Communion - and Confirmation. Many Catholics are Baptised as babies or young children, however, sometimes, for different reasons, some families may decide to wait. Once a child has reached the age of 7, they will need to be prepared in a similar way to adults. There are also times when a child Baptised in the Catholic Church does not attend a Catholic School, therefore, when the reach years 3 & 6 they will need to be prepared for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation & Eucharist (Y3), and Confirmation (Y6). A specially designed course is offered at St Mary of the Angels, for children to learn about Jesus, and what it means to be His follower. This course usually begins in October and continues until a child feels ready to be Baptised, be received into the Church, receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and the Eucharist or receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. During their Journey of Faith, they will come to understand who Jesus is, and how is calling us all to follow Him in love. |
Our sacramental programmes may be informing children and families, but are they also forming and transforming them? Many parishes encounter families who are in great need of conversion.
Parents bring their children for sacramental preparation for a variety of different reasons. Some have never been in religious education, or attend a school outside of the Catholic partnership. Whatever the reason, sacramental moments offer us a unique opportunity to transform people’s lives. We must seize the moment! Safeguarding The Parish of St Mary of the Angels is dedicated to promoting and ensuring the protection of all children and youth. We work closely with the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which works within the national guidelines, to ensure that adults who have regular contact with children and youth have the relevant checks and are approved for their roles and trained in maintaining a safe environment within our parish. For more information, please visit our Archdiocesan Website: www.birminghamdiocese.org.uk |